Collection 2389 - J. Adrian Parsons Letter, December 8, 1891

Creator: Parsons, J. Adrian

Provenance Note: The J. Adrian Parsons letter was acquired by Special Collections from Ron Lerner of Houston, Texas on February 5, 1999.

Historical Note: J. Adrian Parsons was a native of Maine who was raised in Norwich, Connecticut. Sometime in the late 1880s he traveled to Montana where he worked on a sheep ranch near Melville (Sweet Grass County).

Content Description Note: On August 25, 1891, Parsons, in company with two other men identified as "George" and "Pat" embarked on a horseback tour through Yellowstone National Park. The party went through Big Timber to Livingston, and then followed the Yellowstone River to Gardiner. Hiring a wagon, team, and camping supplies at Gardiner, the men then traveled south into the Park at Mammoth, touring
such places as the Mud Volcano, Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Lake, and the lower Geyser Basin before returning by the same route. Parsons wrote this letter home to his mother months after he had completed the trip, giving a detailed description of the countryside, wildlife, camp sites, and some information of other travelers he had encountered. Sometime after sending his letter, Parsons returned to the east and eventually settled in Rhode Island.